


Hard Nights

by Voyaelm



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Blood, Canon Compliant, Canon-Typical Violence, Canonical Character Death, Death, F/M, Flashbacks, Nightmares, Raven's Roost, but in dream form, coping with loss
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-21
Updated: 2018-03-21
Packaged: 2019-04-05 15:34:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,367
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14047365
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Voyaelm/pseuds/Voyaelm
Summary: Dreams of the Raven’s Roost rebellion have plagued Magnus’ head since that wicked day. But, when one gets a bit too hot to handle, who will be there to help out our favorite tank?





	Hard Nights

**Author's Note:**

> I apologize if there are any bit that seems a bit forced! I usually write the middle first and add the beginning to it, so there are bound to be some bits that don’t blend well!
> 
> This was a request!! “Maybe something angsty with Magnus remembering his dearly beloved, and one of the other characters consulting him.”

Falling asleep at night was difficult for Magnus. _Everyone gets nightmares_ , he tells himself, _i_ _t’s okay Magnus_. He pulls the blankets up and closes his eyes. _They’ll be gone before you know it._

It goes on for days after that. They all have the same main, structured plot but it diverges near the end. One night, it’s about wondering if she had suffered before he slips into --bittersweet-- unconsciousness. 

The dream that followed was Magnus watching the life drain out of his beautiful wife before his very eyes. She was trapped under the wall of a house, thick blood pouring out of her forehead. He dreamt that he couldn’t pick up the wood.

He trained extra hard that morning, lifting 20 more than is usual. The other 2 / 3 of Tres Horny Boys said nothing.

But some ended in ways that he should’ve been happy with. Well, as happy as he could be with a dead wife. There were some where the rebellion of Raven’s Roost never happened and she was cold and gone when he woke up that morning. There were some where she just went missing and those, for some reason that he can’t comprehend, fuck with his head something awful. 

Days were spent in joyous company for Magnus. Anywhere from going planetside with Carey to just --strictly _just_ seriously Magnus-- look at dogs, to adventuring with his crew before the director had a mission for them, to even just playing little cards games or chess with the rest of the moon occupants. Nights, however, were spent wondering about what nightmare would plague him and wake him up in a cold sweat.

Tonight’s nightmare is a fucking doozy. Raven’s Roost is burning down all around him. There are charred bodies that are reaching out hands in hopes to be saved. That much was a staple for all of his dreams of the rebellion aftermath. This time there were weeping mothers off in the distance, mourning their children. But Magnus doesn’t care about that. Well. He does, but not right now.  Julia is his main priority.

He thinks hard about where she would be, stepping on burnt hay and bricks. The town square. Where the fuck else would she be.  She said she wanted to take down the problem at its source and Julia Burnsides is many things, but she’s not a liar. 

Magnus grits his teeth and wishes he brought a weapon as he begins the trek to the main area, far from where he is. He arrives in front of the large building and pushes both of the wooden doors open into the office.  

Governor Kalen, the infamous, the brash, the _disgusting_ , is standing front of Magnus with a foot holding down Julia’s leg and a hand holding a dagger to her heart. He was stopped by Kalen’s men who had their short swords against his neck. No, that’s not right. That wasn’t what was stopping him. Kalen told him one more step forward meant Julia's demise. The guards were just a precaution. This was a Burnsides they were talking about here.

He can do nothing but scream and thrash against the blades as Kalen jabs the blade into her heart. She gasps and he starts to cry when she looks up at him. Her strong hands grab at the dagger but it’s too late. There is already blood pouring from her mouth and the wound that still as the knife in it.

He jolts up out of bed with a gasp, followed by slow pants as he tries to calm down. When he is fully cognizant, he looks over the magic alarm clock across the room. 4:26.

It’s usually around 1:00 when he wakes up which means he could just go back until he has to be up at 6:00. So, he may as well try to be productive until then because sleep isn’t coming again tonight. Not after that shitshow. 

“ _Fuck_ ,” he says, cradling his head in his palm. It isn’t until almost 5 that he calms down enough to go out and get something to drink. If he starts freaking out over nothing, Taako will never stop teasing him about it (provided the elf is up.)

But, when Magnus steps in the living room, it isn’t Taako that’s up, but Merle. Magnus freezes, but he’s totally chill. Merle hasn’t heard him yet, face still staring down at the book in his hands. 

He stupidly takes a step forward, _Magnus rushes in,_  he guesses, which Merle apparently hears because he looks up from his book.

“Morning Magnus,” he greets then looks back down to his book.

“Morning? It’s not even dawn yet.” Magnus replies incredulously.

“Morning enough for me. Not gonna risk burning any daylight.”

“Old man.” Magnus taunts and snickers which Merle just waves off with a flick of his soul wood arm.

“Yeah, yeah. You okay, kiddo? You’re never up this early and ya look nervous about something.” Magnus sits down on the couch beside Merle with his hands in his lap. He’s mentioned her to his two companions, but he never went into detail. He’s certainly never told them about the vivid nightmares. He just told them that she died and they never asked how or why. When was the only question. He never answered.

“Not really?” He’s not quite sure of himself. At the moment, no. But, a few minutes away from his bed and talking with Merle about something dumb should bring him back to a safe state of mind. Too bad Merle won’t drop it when something isn’t right, that means it’s deathly wrong. 

“Nightmare?”

“Sorta. It-” He pauses for a minute to take in a deep, calming breath. “It was about Julia.”

“Your wife, right?”

“Yeah. The nightmare was different than how it actually happened. I don’t know which one was worse.” He’s decided when he first saw Merle that he wasn't getting the full story. Maybe for a later time, maybe for never, who knows?

“That’s heavy.”

“Yeah, no shit.”

“Let me tell ya something, Magnus.” Magnus turns his eyes to look down at Merle. “Now, while I’ve never had to deal with someone that dear to me dying, I did have a wife and she's not my wife anymore. Actually, now that I think I'm not sure how that was supposed to help ya but it’s the best I can do.”

“It actually does help a bit.”

“Good and you guys say I’m useless to the team. I call bullshit.” 

Magnus chuckles under his breath and smiles at Merle. “You’re okay in certain aspects. Shitty, but irreplaceable.”

“Eh, I’ll take it.” There is a heavy silence that coated the entire room like someone threw up a spell, but the book Merle is holding isn’t his Extreme Teen Bible, so it isn’t a spell.

Merle breaks the tension as is his M.O. “I never met her, but I’m sure she was wonderful.”

“Oh, she was. She was strong, talented, and beautiful. Everyone loved her and she loved everyone.”

“What a gal.” Magnus nods in agreeance. 

Merle stands up from the couch and heads off into the kitchen. “I’m gonna make you some tea, then you can go and try to get some more sleep, okay.”

“Yeah, that’d be good.” He leans against the arm and burrows his feet under the small blanket on the other arm. “Thanks.” He adds as a quiet afterthought.

“Not a problem, kiddo.” Magnus smiles and closes his eyes for a second. Opens them and closes them for two. Then three. Then he’s asleep.

Merle walks back in with a steaming mug of tea in his hands and he sees Magnus propped up and passed out. He sets the mug down and moves the blanket over him.

A door opens up from the hallway and Taako walks out dressed in a long shirt and long pants. ‘ _It gets cold on the moon,_ ’ Taako had said when he left for bed that night, ‘ _fuckin’ sue me_.’

“Why’s Mags out here?” He asks sitting down on the small chair in the corner of the living space.

“No reason,” Merle replies, lifting the mug off the table. “Tea?”

**Author's Note:**

> So, I went to the TAZ wiki and just found that the rebellion happened, then the shitty aftermath that killed people. This is why you do your research when you write kiddos. Good thing it’s a dream and it doesn’t destroy the plot. 
> 
> If you have any writing ideas or requests, please leave them in the comments below!! <3


End file.
